Shin Tennis No Hime-Chan
by LittleMonster35
Summary: Ryuzaki Sakuno had always lacked skill or talent in tennis. It wasn't until she left Seigaku did she realize her true potential. Now with her newly found sanctum with the sport, Echizen Ryoma finds a worthy opponent with the girl he had formerly inspired.
1. Goodbye, Ryoma-kun

This story was actually inspired from Little Falcon's Challenging Fate. If you have the time, I recommend reading the story because it was a very good read. Anyway, I hope you enjoy this story. I do not own Prince of Tennis.

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 **Shin Tennis No Hime-Chan**

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 _"It is so hard to leave—until you leave. Then, it's the easiest goddamn thing in the world."_ —John Green, _Paper Towns_

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Chapter 1: Goodbye, Ryoma-kun

"What if I were to d-disappear one day?" asked an auburn haired girl as she fidgeted with her bento box. She looked at the raven haired boy in front of her who had a surprised look on his face.

Before Sakuno asked him such a sudden question, Ryoma and she had just been sitting in silence whilst opening up their lunch boxes. As they became first years in high school, they had built a somewhat close friendship and routine that consisted of frequent lunches on the roof whenever Tomoka wasn't at school to sit with Sakuno or if Ryoma simply didn't have lunch to eat. The reason for their luncheon today was due to Ryoma being unable to get to the kitchen due to a ruckus in the house which was caused by his father.

"What?" Ryoma responded nonchalantly not knowing how to reply to her unexpected question. It wasn't normal for Sakuno to talk about such curious things. It's what made her tolerable to him. She wasn't like most of the girls he met at school who fawned over him because of his tennis skills. Sakuno, to him, was quiet and never tried to bother anyone because of any selfish intenstions, which he thought to be impossible coming from her.

"Where is this coming from?" he questioned her, still showing an apathetic response. Though his words were a bit distasteful, Sakuno knew that Ryoma's intentions weren't meant to be harsh. She knew he didn't even know her current situation. But even so, she hoped that his response had been somewhat more involved. Being a little concerned for her well-being might have an effective influence on the decision she was forced to make.

"A-Ah! Well, I-I was just thinking," she said, starting to trail off. "A-Ano, maybe, there could be a possible solution where we might n-not see each other again. Y-You know like if you l-left for America again or a change in schools..."

As her level of sound decreased to a whisper during her explanation, Ryoma looked at her with even more confusion. She stared back and tried to keep her blush as his gaze was a bit too intimidating for her.

"Then, we won't see each other," he said bluntly. He looked back at the girl who he could've sworn was blushing a moment ago. However, any hint of her blush was gone and replaced with a melancholy look. She sighed and started gathering her things. Ryoma could only stare in bewilderment as she stood up to leave.

"You didn't let me—"

"Ano!" she yelled, interrupting his words. With her back now facing him, she was thankful Ryoma couldn't see the saddened expression on her face.

"Thank you for teaching me tennis, Ryoma-kun! I promise that your lessons won't go to waste!" she shouted with all her might as if they were miles apart, her voice unparalleled to her somber expression. Silence soon followed in the atmosphere for a few minutes. Noticing her stutter suddenly gone, Ryoma finally comprehended something was wrong and tried to talk to her once more.

"Oi, Ryu—"

Again, his words were cut off but this time, her quick footsteps and sudden slam of the door a few meters away from him were what interjected.

 _Che, stubborn girl_ , Ryoma thought while eating a piece of shrimp from his bento box that Sakuno gave to him, _I'll just have to talk some sense into her tomorrow. Then, I can finish what I was saying._

…

Leaning against the door she had just slammed, she quietly started crying to herself. _Gomenasai, Ryoma-kun. It seems that I can't tell you myself._

As she continued her silent sobs, Sakuno rested her cheek on the cold metal door. "Sayonara, Ryoma-kun."


	2. Much To Ryoma's Annoyance

**Shin Tennis No Hime-Chan**

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 _"The most painful goodbyes are the ones that are never said and never explained."_ —Bilal Nasir Khan

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Chapter 2: Much To Ryoma's Annoyance

Echizen Ryoma was irritated. Well, from anyone's point of view, that could be termed as his normal demeanor because his face always seemed like he was agitated. However, Ryoma wasn't just bothered today, no, he was sleep deprived, hungry, concerned, and overall, every little thing that happened seemed to be testing his _very_ limited patience.

It all started with waking up in the morning. Now, because of yesterday's events concerning a certain twin braided girl, Ryoma had barely gotten any sleep with his inexplicable and according to him, somewhat superfluous guilt. He knew he had done nothing wrong nor had he said anything he wasn't supposed to say. He was _the_ Echizen Ryoma after all. There weren't a lot of things he could do wrong. What possible inconvenience could he have caused in such short few minutes of dialogue? And with the friendship they've established, there should've been a comprehensible understanding between them. But there was a feeling in the pit of his stomach that was just beyond his comprehension.

After another chaotic morning in his household due to the pervert that is his oyaji, Ryoma considered the repetition of the previous day to be a sign of bad omens. Like the day before, he failed in obtaining a bento box from the kitchen due to his father's wild antics. Normally he'd be fine with that since Sakuno had always managed to bring an extra bento just in case things like this happened. Unfortunately for him, when he entered his first period, he saw that she was nowhere to be found.

As soon as he reached his classroom, he expected to see the auburn girl smile and greet him. It was a routine he'd gotten used to. But when the final bell had rung, he concluded that she was absent for today. To him, he didn't deem it as strange or startling. It was a known fact that Sakuno had a bad habit of catching a cold during the winter season. Nonetheless, he, though he'd never show it, was concerned for her well-being. She was, after all, his friend.

With a disinterested look, the tennis prince slowly began falling asleep as soon as the teacher finished calling his name for attendance. Since Ryoma hadn't gotten much sleep the night before, he'd found it appropriate to nap during the English lesson, being a fluent speaker and all. Before he drifted into dreamland, he heard his teacher's deep voice begin to say something else. However, due to his sleep deprivation, he slowly let his exhaustion overwhelm him.

The next class sessions wouldn't do Ryoma any good either. Apparently his classroom was in full chaotic mode as he woke up from his long nap. When he was able to finally discern all of his surroundings, he slowly noticed that it had already been lunch time. Taking note of the setting of groups falling into chatter, he began heading towards the vending machine. Much to his annoyance, he had found the conversations to be incredibly noisy today.

After quickly obtaining his favorite grape Ponta and pan bread from the cafeteria, he retreated to his spot on the roof and began to fall asleep once again. The bell soon rang after lunch had ended and he found it difficult to go back to class after taking another nap. Entering his classroom, he noticed some of his classmates' dull behavior.

 _They were so noisy before_ , he thought to himself as he made his way to his desk. He shrugged it off and looked out the window. He silently tuned out his surroundings as he thought about his long awaited tennis practice after the day he'd been having.

 _Tennis will help me soothe this uneasiness._

However, much to his dismay, his day had worsened after reaching the courts. To Ryoma, this day had tested his patience at every minute. First, he had gotten no sleep. Second, his oyaji was stupid. Third, he almost starved to death because of Sakuno's absence. And lastly, his coach was late. After the day he'd been having, he just wanted to play some tennis. But _no_ , his coach was late. Not a few minutes late. It was already thirty minutes into practice and she _still_ hadn't shown up.

When it had reached all of the teammate's patience, the regulars gathered around their team captain, Tezuka Kunimitsu, and their data analyst, Inui Sadaharu. Tezuka had the same inconceivable expression he'd always had while Inui looked too solemn for his own good. Oishi had been the first one to speak up and questioned the coach's whereabouts.

"Ryuzaki-sensei had some personal affairs she has to attend to," Inui said, flashing his glasses.

"So, until she gets here, just keep warming up, stretch and if you need to, run a few laps more," Tezuka added, earning him multiple sighs from his teammates.

"Why can't we just get started?" asked Kaidoh, aggravated by the situation.

Tezuka answered with a subtle frown. "She has the practice routines that we're introducing today, so it can't be helped."

As if on cue, their coach, Sumire, entered the courts seconds after Tezuka's explanation. She greeted the team with an apology and half a smile which certainly did not go unnoticed by all the regulars. Holding a clip board up with her hand, she called to the other members and started arranging groups for the practice. After a short term, Sumire was interrupted by a loud female voice.

Behind her, Sakuno's friend, Okasada Tomoka had ran up to her calling her name. After finally catching her breath, she questioned Sumire with a desperate cry, "Is it true, Ryuzaki-sensei!? Please, tell me it's not true!"

Looking at her intently, Tomoka awaited for an answer as Sumire tried to comfort her with a smile. "Yes, I'm afraid it is."

Silence followed afterwards as the girl in front of them started crying. Seeing the situation, the trio, consisted of Katsuo, Kachiro, and Horio, began to comfort her. With the other team members looking in confusion, it wasn't until Katsuo's question for the coach did they finally understand.

"So, what we heard in homeroom about Ryuzaki-san transferring abroad is true?"

Everyone looked at Sumire as she could only respond with a weak smile that she'd been giving. "Yes, I just sent her off just now."

"She didn't even say goodbye!" Tomoka shouted, crying even more. With a look from their coach, the trio guided the crying girl towards a bench outside of the courts in order to try to calm her down. Sumire turned back to her team who fell undeniably silent. No one was able to utter a word. Over the past few years, Sakuno had invested more time and focus into her tennis and thus began close relationships with the team whilst they helped her enhance her skills and in return, she supported their team by attending every single game and providing aid in bonding/growth exercises. After all her help, the regulars often described her as a trustworthy friend to the team.

After a few moments, looks finally set on Ryoma who was looking at the ground, his hat covering the expression on his face. Nervous looks and pity were exchanged between the teammates only to be halted by a sudden reveal of detachment shown on Ryoma's face.

"Okay, if we're not starting practice now, I'm going to go practice somewhere else," he said in a nonchalant tone. He grabbed his racket which had been placed on a nearby bench. He quickly and quietly made his way towards the exit. He pulled the brim of his hat down as the regulars stared at him in awe.

"W-What's up with that unemotional brat!? Doesn't he understand anythi—" Momo started to say, anger overwhelming him, but was interrupted by his coach.

"He's coping," she said sympathetically. Getting one last look at the direction where the tennis prince retreated to, she held the clipboard in front of her once again and started reading off the sheet. "We have to move on. We've already wasted so much time."

…

' _W-What would you do if I were to disappear one day?'_

PIK!

 _Stupid girl._

POK!

 _Stubborn girl._

PIK!

 _Ignorant girl._

POK!

 _You didn't even hear what I had to say to you._

As he volleyed the ball against a wall near but hidden from the tennis courts, a short glimpse of a drawing of him on the ball caused him to hit it with full force. Bouncing of the wall, he quickly reached to return it. But even with his amazing speed, the ball quickly sped right past his head.

 _Tch._


	3. A Chance Meeting

So, I want to try updating this every week. Please review and tell me if I should keep continuing this story! Thank you for your support!

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 **Shin Tennis No Hime-Chan**

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 _"But life inevitably throws us curve balls, unexpected circumstances that remind us to expect the unexpected. I've come to understand these curve balls are the beautiful unfolding of both karma and current."_ —Carre Otis

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Chapter 3: A Chance Meeting

It had been four years since Sakuno left Seishun Gakuen. Her abrupt departure had always been a distant memory to everyone who knew her at her former school. And the memory was often never mentioned. For the members of Seigaku, it had been a touchy subject for their coach and teammate, Ryoma.

For almost a six months, Sakuno only talked to her grandmother. According to Sumire, she had refused to talk to anyone else due to some personal issues. However, she'd always try to reassure her students that Sakuno would communicate with them next time she made contact with her. Despite this, Sakuno always ended up telling her grandmother that she didn't want to speak to anyone but her. Her calls became less frequent according to Sumire and stopped altogether after a span of those six months. Though she never revealed anything from their phone conversations, she had told the team that there was nothing she could do to get in contact with her again. Although they believed Sakuno had her reasons to not talk to them, Ryoma believed it was nothing more than pure rejection.

Since Ryoma never fully expressed his emotions, he showed no obvious indication that he'd been affected by her transfer. However, his teammates knew better. He had always been persistent in obtaining Sakuno's contact information from his coach for about a month until he finally and suddenly gave up. With any conversation that led to the topic of Sakuno, whether positive or negative, Ryoma ended up just leaving the vicinity and was always seen practicing tennis by himself right afterwards.

Though he had still acted the same towards his teammates, his attitude towards others, especially girls, worsened over the years. As he became more distinguished in the tennis world, his popularity also rose at the academy. More and more girls fawned over him. But due to his cold demeanor that grew since the Sakuno's departure, he'd always given any fan girl who had the guts to approach him blunt and cruel responses such as "get the hell away from me" or if they caught him on a bad day, "I don't want to see such ugly faces in the mornings." Still, much to Ryoma's dismay, his popularity with the female population grew substantially.

Even so, his love for tennis was still never negatively affected and his determination became even more prominent. With his constant practices and influence of the team, they had won numerous championships that regarded them in the highest esteems nationwide. And with his reunion with the former Seigaku players in the university division of Seishun in his freshmen year, they were often described as invincible.

Due to the Seigaku boys' tennis team earning honorable mentions, this influenced the girls' team to become more motivated. After years of hard work, they were finally able to be recognized by other schools who had reputable tennis teams in the women's division. Their victories even influenced Tomoka to replace her pom poms and cheer uniform with a tennis racket and a spot with the regulars. Although, many of her teammates knew that the main reason for her sudden change was to continue her best friend's previous goal.

Since both tennis teams were now featured as prominent groups at the school, the two sections created new friendships and support from each other. Many of them exchanged workouts and ideas which enabled them to explore many options and routines. Despite their closeness, however, Ryoma never acknowledged them and refused to associate himself with any of the girls on the team. Knowing the reason why, being teammates with the girl who'd left them, they thought it'd be best to leave him alone during meetings between the groups.

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Both the girls' and boy's Seigaku tennis teams had advanced to the preliminary rounds of their respective championships. It was the first time in years that both the women's and men's division were held at the same location. This gave both teams opportunity to support each other during their individual games.

The two teams exited their separate buses and immediately met afterwards with everyone expressing their excitement about the tournament. As they approached the sign-up tables near the entrance, Ryoma began to wander off to a nearby vending machine.

"That Echizen, always going off to get his beloved Ponta," Momoshiro sighed as conversed with Eiji, who walked beside him.

Finishing the last of their paperwork, the Seigaku members started to explore their surroundings. Since they were going to wait half an hour, they all interacted with the other schools' team members that they were already well acquainted with.

"Tachibana-san!"

Turning her head, An spotted Tomoka and ran up to her. Like Tomoka, An had joined the girls' tennis team at Fudomine. Since the two met again on the courts, Tomoka had gained new friendship that, though could never compare to her relationship with Sakuno, was a very beneficial and comforting bond after her best friend moved away. "You guys made it, too? Congratulations!"

"Thanks, An!" she smiled before noticing that An had been looking around her. Pointing out her strange behavior, she stared at her friend. "What are you doing?"

"A-Ah… Saa…" An said while she noticed Momoshiro behind Tomoka while he had been in a laughing conversation with Eiji. Tomoka turned to the direction where she had been staring and grinned. Acting mischievously, Tomoka pushed An towards Momoshiro causing her to appear with a subtle blush in front of him.

"A-An!" he said, almost shouting, as he blushed at the sudden sight of the brunette. "You're here, too? U-Um, congrats."

All she could do was nod as Tomoka and Eiji snickered beside them.

After getting a can of grape Ponta for himself, he returned to his team who had already finished signing up. He approached the data analyst of their group and asked whether or not the competition this year would be worthwhile.

Closing his notebook, Inui replied, "It looks like Rikkaidai hasn't lost any matches yet this season, and Shitenhoji has one loss from them."

Catching up to their conversation, Tomoka and An also approached the data analyst. Since both teams became united in terms of ideas and knowledge expansion, the girls also looked at Inui as their data analyst. It had been no trouble for him since he enjoyed analyzing players, and he learned new playing styles just by watching the women's division. "Ne, ne! What about our division, Inui-senpai?"

"It looks as if the toughest players this year come from a newcomer school, Sakura Gakuen. It's also an all girls' school," he said as his glasses flashed. "And it seems like they have a rookie freshman as their pillar of support."

"I heard about them," commented Inoue Reiko, the Seigaku girls' team captain. "They weren't within our normal school rivalries so we never went up against them, but I have heard that they've never lost one game this year or last year and that the rookie hasn't lost one match."

"Eh?" both Seigaku teams responded in unison with the exception of Ryoma and Tezuka. His captain had remained quiet due to his normal behavior while Ryoma just didn't see the point in showing interest about a school that he'd never compete with.

After a few silent seconds, sudden stares from other schools were aimed towards a group of girls walking towards the crowd of tennis teams. The Seigaku teams looked at the direction of the girls who were wearing bright pink uniforms with gray accents. They were all well-toned and had noticeable athletic builds. The group also seemed to have foreigners with hints of Japanese descent. Each of them had their own unique looks of determination and fearlessness. The one who stood in front of them, most likely their captain, had small glasses that hid her green eyes, wore a pixie haircut, and had the same look that Tezuka always wears: serious and firm.

Walking in between the Seigaku teams, the green eyed girl excused herself and her members. Making way for the group, there had been a girl who lagged a few feet behind them wearing the same uniform. By her petite and small appearance compared to the girls on the team, they had assumed she had been the freshman rookie. She was the shortest of the group of girls but was still a bit taller than An and Tomoka. She wore a white hat which closely resembled the one Ryoma was currently wearing and concealed her facial features. If they were back in their high school days, the Seigaku members noted that the girl who lagged behind would be the girl version of Ryoma.

"Sa-chan!" called a girl who looked like a foreigner with blonde hair and blue cat eyes. She ran back to her teammate who was now close to approaching the Seigaku group. "C'mon, you gotta catch up!"

"Ami-senpai," yelled a girl behind her who had black high and loose pigtails with a beauty mark on the left side of her cheek, "Stop bothering Sa-chan. Ne, Sa-chan, do you want to go get something at the vending machine?"

"Don't be so rude, Yuki!" said Ami as she hugged 'Sa-chan' and pulled the girl, who remained quiet, toward her. Yuki, irritated, pulled on the arm of the girl before Ami attempted to do the same. Since they were walking aimlessly and both tugging on the girl in between them who was still abnormally quiet and unmoving, they both let go at the sudden stern yell from their captain. At their immediate relinquish of the petite girl, they had inadvertently caused her to bump into the tennis prince which resulted in him dropping his can of grape Ponta.

Falling with the girl and both landing on their bottoms, Ryoma's head tilted enough to cause his hat to fly off. After his abrupt plummet to the ground, he opened his eyes to reveal the girl who had descended with him and was now a foot apart from where he sat.

With her white cap now off like him, his eyes widened at her sudden and familiar appearance. Her chocolate brown eyes were now exposed along with the signature twin braids that fell at her waist, a signature look they all knew too well. There was no mistaking it, she was the girl he'd longed to see for four years.

"Ryuzaki?"

...

As the regulars chatted about their excitement for the first game of championships while patiently waiting to arrive at the game's location, Inui remained quiet, as he always was before a match, and continued to study his data for both his teammates and fellow peers on the girls' team.

'Sakura Sakuno' read one of the pages from his notebook.

 _This girl is the famous rookie from Sakura Gakuen,_ Inui thought, _the toughest group for the girls' division. I wonder if it'll be a good idea to have that name afloat in the air on the first day of championships. No, there's a likely chance it could affect their emotional levels negatively. Well, it's not like they're the same person. After all, Ryuzaki-san left for America years ago..._


	4. That's Not Ryuzaki

**Shin Tennis No Hime-chan**

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" _No one is so brave that he is not disturbed by something unexpected." —_ Julius Caesar

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Chapter 4: That's Not Ryuzaki

No one knew what to do. Or what to say. Or even how to react. Ryuzaki Sakuno, who had been out of their lives for four years, just sat there. And the most shocking thing of all was that she looked so... indifferent. An expression the normal Sakuno wouldn't, no, _couldn't_ make.

"Sakuno?" Tomoka whispered, unable to utter another word. The twin braided girl looked at her long time friend and smiled. Even if it seemed genuine, Tomoka knew it was forced. There's no way, Tomoka thought, this girl could be the same Sakuno. She was the epitome of genuine.

As the silence continued, Sakuno, unwavering to the unexpected meeting, stood up and picked up her hat and bag. She held out her hand to the boy still on the ground, staring at her. "Are you going to get up anytime soon?"

 _No stuttering._

As she helped him up, she gave another smile to the rest of the regulars. "Well, good luck in the competition."

 _No blush._

Sakuno walked past Ryoma and towards her teammates who stared at the situation awkwardly.

"Your hair is still too long."

Sakuno stopped her tracks. But it didn't catch her off guard.

 _No clumsiness._

She turned to the boy who had his back turned to her. She picked up his hat which was still on the ground and walked it over to him. Ryoma turned and grabbed it back, immediately plopping it on his head. Sakuno stood in front of him with a wave of confidence; something the old Sakuno lacked in.

"It's fine," she started. Ryoma only looked in surprise once more. She took off her hat and tied her two braids together. As the regulars stared, she tucked away strands of her hair under the 'S' marked hat until her braids were no longer seen.

"If I hide it under here, it won't make a difference, right?"

 _No braids._

Sakuno turned around once again and looked at Tomoka before continuing on. "I look forward to seeing a match of yours."

Without saying goodbye, she walked towards the rest of her teammates who were further ahead and faded from their views instantly.

 _No Ryuzaki._

"We apologize!" yelled the two girls who fought over Sakuno.

"A-Ano! Sa-chan isn't really like that! She's just rude when it comes to a lot of people," the girl with blue cat eyes tried to say. "N-Not that she's rude to everyone! It's just that—"

"I think you're making it worse Ami-senpai," said the girl with the beauty mark. "Anyway, do you guys know Sa-chan?"

"No," Ryoma answered immediately. He grabbed the Ponta can and hit it into a nearby trashcan with his tennis racquet. The Regulars stared at him, surprised at his sudden reply.

"O-Oi! Echizen! That's Ryuzaki-chan," Momoshiro tried to say. Ryoma only turned his back at the team and headed towards the opposite way of the competition.

"I'm going to go practice."

"B-But what about Ryuzaki—"

"That's not Ryuzaki," he said bluntly and left. After his silhouette disappeared, Ami spoke up.

"Ryuzaki? Who's that?"

The Regulars stared back at her. Had they been wrong? Was that not Sakuno? Sure, she'd change her personality, but there was no doubt that it had been Sakuno that suddenly appeared in front of them. There was just no mistaking it.

Tomoka, unable to bear the situation of her best friend suddenly ignoring her, tried to speak out. "Ryuzaki. Ryuzaki Sakuno. T-That's who she is."

The two girls looked at each other in confusion.

"But her name is Sakura Sakuno," Yuki said, with a worried look. "We've always known her as Sakura."

"The pillar of support?" Inui suddenly asked. The team looked at him. It couldn't be. The girl who couldn't even hit the ball back was their pillar of support?

Ami chuckled slightly. "You could say that. She's never lost a match and she's far more skilled than some of us on the team. Ever since we've met her, it's always been that way."

"When exactly did you meet her?" Tomoka asked.

"Hm," Ami thought carefully, "I believe it was around a year and a half ago."

"Well, just for us transfer students. She's known some of the others for a longer time," added Yuki.

Before Tomoka and the Seigaku regulars could ask anymore questions, the girl with the pixie haircut called to them in a strict voice. "Yuki, Ami, it's time to do warm ups. Since you two lagged behind, you'll have to make up for it by running some laps."

"Sumiko-bucho!" they both cried as their captain dragged them off. The Seigaku members sweat dropped as the scene was somewhat familiar. Tomoka only looked at the ground.

 _Sakuno, what happened to you?_

* * *

"Sumiko-bucho?" Yuki called to her as the team ran off to do warm ups. "I have a question."

Sumiko answered her with a short hum and continued looking at the paper that informed them about the competition.

"Who is Ryuzaki?"

The sudden question gave Sumiko a reason to lift her head up and look at the girl in surprise. "Where did you hear that?"

Shocked by the captain's uncharacteristic interest, she tried to ponder who she had just spoken to. "I think their name was Seigaku?"

Sumiko continued to look at her, now with a look of subtle worry. "Sumiko-bucho?"

"Sakuno. It was Sakuno before she came to the school."

"Ah. So then, that would be her old school," Yuki surmised.

Sumiko stood up from the bench and spoke in a serious tone. "Yuki, we can't let Seigaku beat us."

"Why?! Did they do something to Sa-chan?" Yuki almost yelled in an angry tone.

"No," she replied immediately. She looked away as if she had many things running through her head. Although their team was close knit to the point they would call themselves a family, Sumiko only knew that Sakuno would push everyone away if they had found out.

"Sakuno, that girl, has gone through many things. If Seigaku were to win, they'll be allowed to stay further in the competition. I'm sure her friends from that school cherished her just as we have. There's no doubt they'll want to pry into what happened."

"Okay," she quickly answered. "If it's for Sa-chan's sake, we'll beat them no matter what."

Sumiko smiled. Yuki only gave her a sullen look in return.

"Will she ever tell _us_ though? We're her family!"

Sumiko gave her a look of sincerity. "She will."

She then looked to the sky. "Once she finally forgives herself."

Yuki looked to the sky as well. _Sa-chan, what happened to you?_

…

' _If I hide it under here, it won't make a difference, right?'_

Pik.

 _No stuttering._

Pok.

 _No blush._

Pik.

 _No clumsiness._

Pok.

 _No braids._

Pik.

 _No Ryuzaki._

Like that day she had left, Ryoma played by himself near the tennis courts. This time, however, he was not going to miss the ball. As he hit it with intense skill, the ball came back at full speed. He hit it perfectly.

 _Tch._

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AN: I know, I know. It's been like a year since my last update but I started my first year of college and my first job after I started writing this story. I never had time to really write... even if I had this chapter for like a long time now. But anyway, I hope I'll be able to update more. There's two new stories that I've already written a couple chapters for and I'm actually really excited about them. Follow and comment if you want more of this story! I love reading the comments because it makes me feel motivated everytime I read them so please do! :)


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